rethinkrelevant

Building RelevantCross-cultural Connections.

República is a leading independent cross-cultural agency that is fearlessly redefining what it is to create relevant, enduring connections between brands and consumers across language and culture – all the while nurturing lasting client partnerships and forging an identity of altruism and boundless creativity.

360 Agency

Advertising

Great advertising not only sells, but compels. By combining unique cultural insights with big creative, we build award-winning campaigns that drive sales and turn consumers into brand loyalists.

Media

Big ideas won’t fly if they’re not brought to life in a smart way. Through our combined buying power, deep relationships and hyper-focus on delivering measurable ROI, we help brands stretch their media investment without stretching budgets.

Branding

Like people, companies and products have their own DNA. We uncover what sets them apart by developing a unique branding system that can include naming, logo design and brand voice as well as trademark personality.

Public Relations

In today's up-to-the-second world, our award-winning team of PR experts goes beyond the press release to deliver the kind of earned media that creates momentum and drives engagement — from new product launches to corporate communications.

Digital

In the age of digital, UX is everything. From building mobile apps to CRM, our acclaimed digital team develops interactive experiences that turn consumer engagement into sales.

Research

Ideas are only as effective as the consumer research that inspires them. Through advanced analytics and market data, we uncover the kinds of insights that resonate on the bottom line.

Experiential

It’s the frontline of consumer interaction with brands. Our promotions team creates immersive brand experiences that move the needle — from one-on-one shopper marketing to major event activations.

Social

To be part of the global conversation, it’s critical to have something relevant to say. We create the kind of branded digital content that consumers can’t wait to like, follow and share.

Simply Golden

The proof is in the hardware.

Fearless

Jorge A. Plasencia

Co-Founder, Chairman & CEO

With more than 20 years experience in strategic marketing, advertising, communications and business strategy, Jorge A. Plasencia is a shining example of leadership in both business and community. Prior to co-founding República in 2006, Jorge […]

Luis Casamayor

Co-Founder, President & CCO

Luis Casamayor has more than 20 years integrated marketing, advertising and design experience and has led República to earn numerous national creative awards. Prior to co-founding República in 2006, Luis was the president of Cosmyk, […]

leadership

We're led by a seasoned group of strategists, creative minds, marketing gurus and financial wizards. Together, they put their years of expertise to work for our growing roster of great clients. And love every minute of it.

Carlos Guzman

Executive Vice President & CMO

Tony Arner

Chief Financial Officer

Lilly Franyie

Vice President, Client Services

Milton Lebrón

Vice President, Creative

Wendy Grant

Vice President, Corporate & Community Relations

Nicholas Kerestegian

Vice President, Business Strategy & Operations

Will Freyre

Vice President, Digital Innovation

Angela Kim

Vice President, Research & Strategic Planning

Powerful Partnerships

Empowering brands by engaging consumers in deeper, more relevant ways.

caring is contagious

Repúblicares is our annual pro bono initiative designed to help non-profit organizations keep doing good in their communities.

Built on decades of local participation, the annual Coconut Grove Arts Festival has long been imbued with the strong cultural identity of the Grove. Even as it has grown to garner nationwide interest, the outdoor […]

In a big move that will give more national and international exposure to Miami’s young homegrown technology conference, eMerge Americas, NBCUniversal News Group and Telemundo are expected to announce Wednesday an exclusive multi-year partnership. NBCUniversal’s […]

NBCU gives its theme-park agency a crack at networks By Andrew McMains. In a sign of the vastness of NBCUniversal’s empire, República has added creative responsibilities on the company’s Telemundo network and NBC Universo, five […]

Jorge A. Plasencia

With more than 20 years experience in strategic marketing, advertising, communications and business strategy, Jorge A. Plasencia is a shining example of leadership in both business and community.

Prior to co-founding República in 2006, Jorge served as vice president and operating manager of Univision Radio. Earlier, he also held the role of vice president of marketing, corporate communications and public affairs.

Before joining Univision, Jorge was vice president of Estefan Enterprises, Inc., where he was responsible for corporate business strategy, marketing and communications. While there, Jorge played a key role in the business affairs and management of several international artists, including Gloria Estefan and Shakira.

Prior to Estefan Enterprises, Jorge was the first director of Hispanic marketing for the Florida Marlins. During his tenure, the Marlins won their first World Series and received the Hispanic Marketer of the Year Award from the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce.

Throughout his career, Jorge has had a leading role in the production of numerous marquee events, including “The Last Goodbye,” a September 11th tribute at the White House; Super Bowl XXXIII; the 1997 World Series; Shakira’s MTV Unplugged; the Latin Grammy Awards; and the “Queen of Salsa” Celia Cruz’s historic funeral, among many others.

Jorge, who has been named one of PODER magazine’s 100 most influential Hispanics in the U.S., currently serves as chairman of the board of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization. He is the first Cuban-American, first Floridian and youngest person to hold the post.

In 1991, at age 17, Jorge co-founded Amigos For Kids, a non-profit organization providing services to abused and underprivileged children that he has since nurtured into an institution of national prominence. He is chairman emeritus of Amigos For Kids, and his lifelong work with the organization has earned him the March of Dimes’ Humanitarian of the Year Award, among others.

A member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Jorge was nominated in 2004 by President George W. Bush – and confirmed by the U.S. Senate – to serve on the advisory board of the Broadcasting Board of Governors’ Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB).

Jorge is currently vice chairman of the Miami Dade College Foundation and serves as a board member of the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation and the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. He also serves on the advisory board of the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA).

Jorge’s numerous accolades include Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur Of The Year®, PRWeek’s 2012 40 Under 40, CEO of the Year by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, and Ultimate CEO by the South Florida Business Journal.

Jorge, an inductee into the Miami Dade College Hall of Fame, earned a bachelor’s degree, with honors, from Barry University, and completed the Advanced Management Education Program from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Luis Casamayor

Co-Founder, President & CCO

Luis Casamayor has more than 20 years integrated marketing, advertising and design experience and has led República to earn numerous national creative awards.

Prior to co-founding República in 2006, Luis was the president of Cosmyk, a design and creative agency he started in 1994 as a graphic design studio. By 2001, the company had evolved into a full-service ad agency offering additional services such as broadcast advertising, media and interactive. He built Cosmyk into one of the premier regional advertising agencies, acclaimed for its breakthrough creative.

Over the years, Luis has provided clients with fresh thinking, dedication and a true understanding of business objectives. His relationships with creative partners in all relevant areas, including printing, multimedia production, film, photography and community and events marketing allow campaigns to be executed with excellence.

Named a Global Agency Innovator by The Internationalist, Luis’ passion for his clients comes to life in República’s award-winning work for many brands, including ABSOLUT, Google, Baptist Health, Universal Orlando Resort, BankUnited, Chivas Regal, Univision, and the Gates Foundation, among others.

Luis has served as a judge for numerous creative competitions, including the Media Mind Rich Media Awards in New York City. He is also a member of the Art Directors Club and the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA).

Carlos Guzman

Executive Vice President & CMO

Carlos Guzman is a leader in business development, media services, digital innovation and corporate & community relations.

Prior to República, Carlos served as president of Harte-Hanks’ shopper marketing publication, The Flyer, for nearly 10 years. Carlos headed up all sales, marketing and production operations, overseeing a team of over 250 employees. Having been with the company for over two decades, during his tenure, Carlos held various management and sales roles in California, Texas and Florida.

Carlos also played a key role in creating Harte-Hanks’ multicultural marketing initiatives, particularly in growing relationships with national retail chains and service companies seeking to target consumers through demographically focused ad campaigns. The initiatives included building comprehensive sales and marketing strategies to utilize in gaining minority-owned businesses as advertisers. Given the booming growth of the Hispanic community in both the Florida and California markets, the initiatives successfully created significant new revenue streams on a local and national basis.

Carlos has served in leadership positions on numerous industry boards, including the Association of Free Community Papers (AFCP), the national trade association. While at AFCP, he led the start up, development and ongoing growth of “The Leadership Institute,” an industry-funded sales and management training college offered exclusively to AFCP’s membership. He received distinction as “Publisher of the Year” in 2001 and was a “Distinguished Service Award” honoree in 2012 for his sustained long-term contributions to the industry.

Carlos received a BBA from the University of Miami and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. He has served on the boards of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Harvard Business School Alumni Association. Carlos, who was inducted into the Miami Dade College Hall of Fame, currently serves on the University of Miami Citizens Board.

Tony Arner

Chief Financial Officer

Tony Arner is a proven leader with more than 15 years experience in finance and operations, working for Fortune 500, privately-held companies and in public accounting.

Prior to joining República, Tony was with The J.M. Smucker Company where he was corporate controller for its Espresso coffee (Rowland Coffee Roasters, Inc.) operations, which included flagship brands Café Bustelo, Café Pilon and Medaglia D’oro. Seasoned in business management, post its acquisition of Rowland, Tony was instrumental in the integration of the business into The J.M. Smucker Company. He was responsible for financial operations, budgeting, procurement, logistics and risk management.

Formerly, Tony served as a manager in audit services for Fortune 500 company AutoNation, America’s largest automotive retailer. Earlier in his career, Tony was an auditor at public accounting firm Morrison, Brown, Argiz & Farra, LLP.

Tony received both his B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting and Management Information Systems and Masters of Accounting from Florida International University. He is a Certified Public Accountant. Additionally, Tony is a graduate of Leadership Miami.

Lilly Franyie

Vice President, Client Services

Lilly Franyie is a seasoned marketing communications professional with over 18 years of experience in the industry. She has a solid understanding of multicultural marketing and cross-cultural communications and her diverse range of category experience includes, telecommunications, wireless, wine and spirits, energy, retail, supermarkets and medical services.

Lilly has held leadership positions on both the agency and client side of the business, and has managed international, national, regional and local brands. Among the many brands she has worked with, for both general and Hispanic market, are BellSouth International, BellSouth Mobility, Publix, Sedano’s Supermarkets, Florida, Power & Light, Jim Beam Brands, Johnnie Walker, DeKuyper, Dolphin Mall, Village of Merrick Park, and Cleveland Clinic.

Before joining República, Lilly was an account director for MGS Communications, marketing manager at Univision Radio and senior advertising manager for BellSouth Corporation.

Milton Lebrón

Vice President, Creative

Milton Lebrón is an innovative creative leader with more than 16 years experience in the creative conceptualization of award-winning advertising and digital campaigns.

Milton is a strategic and creative thinker and has a proven track record of success with major brands like Unilever, Sony, Coca-Cola, MTV, Wal-Mart, Burger King, American Express, Coors Light, L’Oreal and Kraft.

He has successfully collaborated as a member of senior management and creative teams at major agencies, including Ogilvy & Mather, Euro RSCG and Lopez Negrete Communications.

He joined República in 2008 as creative director, was promoted to executive creative director in 2011, and most recently to vice president, creative in 2013.

Wendy Grant

Vice President, Corporate & Community Relations

Wendy Grant has spent more than two decades as a close advisor to state and national leaders, focusing on policy development, implementation, and public outreach campaigns. Wendy has specialized in building relationships and boosting the bottom lines of organizations by fostering long-term growth and policy through strategic bridge-building and solid community relations. She has developed national and international programs and initiatives with an eye on the horizon.

Wendy worked tirelessly as a trusted advisor to Florida Gov. Jeb Bush by coordinating events and volunteer operations to mobilize communities and motivate leaders. Her efforts led to policies that benefited Florida’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and all minority students across the state through the College Board Partnership.

Wendy also worked for the Bahamian Ministers of Education and Health, and her efforts led to the expansion of a national volunteer literacy program and a breast cancer awareness program, aimed at decreasing late-stage diagnoses through education, early detection, and screening.

Nicholas Kerestegian

Vice President, Business Strategy & Operations

With over 10 years experience in entrepreneurship and business strategy, Nicholas Kerestegian is responsible for identifying, sizing and segmenting business opportunities, as well as monitoring all internal agency resources.

Previously, he was chief of staff, working directly with Jorge and Luis on the development of strategic initiatives, as well as addressing changes and monitoring agency processes and operations.

Nicholas, who moved from Chile, is an entrepreneur having founded businesses in Latin America, including Xurros Café (coffeehouse chain), El Popular (restaurant) and multiple high-end real estate ventures. Prior to República, Nicholas served as business development manager for the software company Planok S.A., where he redesigned and re-structured the after-sales department, supervised operations, and was responsible for onboarding all new clients.

Nicholas’ expertise in product development, market analysis and positioning strategy earned him the “Espíritu UDD” Award in 2012 for his leadership and excellence in entrepreneurship, innovation and ethics in Chile.

Nicholas received his B.A. in Marketing & Advertising and his MBA from the Universidad del Desarrollo in Chile.

Will Freyre

Vice President, Digital Innovation

With more than 19 years experience as a working creative professional, Will Freyre has been responsible for designing and directing award-winning campaigns for top brands such as Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, SC Johnson, Wachovia, Gallo Wineries, M&M/Mars, and many others.

Will’s prior experience includes working as a sr. art director at Zubi Advertising, co-founding the agency’s Digital Division and helping evolve it into its Integrated Marketing Division. Seasoned in providing premium creative for a variety of media, Will has also taught graphic and web design courses for Florida International University’s Studio of Digital Arts program (the SODA).

Additionally, Will is an active community leader, and serves on the marketing and social media committees of the non-profit organization, City Year Miami.

Angela Kim

Vice President, Research & Strategic Planning

With more than 20 years of experience, Angela Kim is a leader in cross-cultural brand planning, consumer advocacy and multi-channel campaign evaluation. She is responsible for thought leadership and positioning brands in a rapidly diversifying market landscape for clients such as Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceutical Inc., National Pork Board and Baptist Health South Florida, among others.

Prior to joining República, Angela was the brand steward of Florida Power & Light’s general market advertising for five years.

Before that, she worked at Ogilvy & Mather where she launched an award-winning global brand and in-country product campaign for American Express Latin America. With Leo Burnett USA, she led new target audience definition, messaging and metrics for the U.S. Army, resulting in a 26 percent increase in Hispanic enlistments from 2001-2004. Angela was the lead account planner, at Bromley Communications, for Procter & Gamble’s U.S. Hispanic and Puerto Rico brands for six years.

Angela combines her love of science and art by volunteering as a Certified Florida Master Gardener and serving as First Grade Art Chair, teaching first graders primary and complementary paint colors.

She is a graduate of Smith College, where she earned a B.A. in Economics and Latin American Studies and served as alumnae class president-elect.

PRIVACY POLICY

What information do we collect?

We collect information from you when you apply for a position on our Careers or Internships form or when you provide your information on our Subscribe function. When submitting information using these forms, as appropriate, you may be asked to enter your: name, e-mail address, company, mailing address or phone number. You may, however, visit our site anonymously.

What do we use your information for?

Any of the information we collect from you may be used in one of the following ways:

To enter you into our employment or internship candidate database

To subscribe you into our news updates

How do we protect your information?

We implement a variety of security measures to maintain the safety of your personal information when you access your personal information.

Do we use cookies?

Yes (Cookies are small files that a site or its service provider transfers to your computers hard drive through your Web browser (if you allow) that enables the sites or service providers systems to recognize your browser and capture and remember certain information.

We use cookies to understand and save your preferences for future visits and compile aggregate data about site traffic and site interaction so that we can offer better site experiences and tools in the future. We may contract with third-party service providers to assist us in better understanding our site visitors. These service providers are not permitted to use the information collected on our behalf except to help us conduct and improve our business.

Do we disclose any information to outside parties?

We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer to outside parties your personally identifiable information. This does not include trusted third parties who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business, or servicing you, so long as those parties agree to keep this information confidential. We may also release your information when we believe release is appropriate to comply with the law, enforce our site policies, or protect ours or others rights, property, or safety. However, non-personally identifiable visitor information may be provided to other parties for marketing, advertising, or other uses.

Third party links

Occasionally, at our discretion, we may include or offer third party products or services on our website. These third party sites have separate and independent privacy policies. We therefore have no responsibility or liability for the content and activities of these linked sites. Nonetheless, we seek to protect the integrity of our site and welcome any feedback about these sites.

Online Privacy Policy Only

This online privacy policy applies only to information collected through our website and not to information collected offline.

Your Consent

By using our site, you consent to our web site privacy policy.

Changes to our Privacy Policy

If we decide to change our privacy policy, we will post those changes on this page.

Contacting Us

If there are any questions regarding this privacy policy, you may contact us using the information below:

PRINCIPLES & FOUNDATION

4We want our talent to excel and develop to their fullest
potential. So we help República employees and partners forge a path to the success that they desire.

5Our talent is compensated for the value they generate, not just the hours they work. We want our clients to compensate us this way too.

6We believe in a team approach to our work. Dedicated client teams are at the core of our business.

7We value people who accept responsibility and mean it when they say: “The Buck Stops Here.” We feel that our clients need to live by this philosophy as well.

8We’re transparent and have nothing to hide. We act ethically and are loyal to each other and to our clients.

9We understand that we’re not right for every client. We will resist the temptation to work for everyone and will only choose clients that inspire us.

10República focuses on creating value for clients with every move we make, every job we take.

11We believe in Great Work, Great People and Great Clients, which will naturally result in Great Growth. But we don’t pursue Growth by itself because it usually won’t result in Great Work, Great People and Great Clients.

12We will be compensated fairly for the value we provide and say no to unreasonable expectations. We’d rather turn down work than take on something that we can’t deliver at the highest level.

13Speaking of great work, we like the fun, exciting and fulfilling kind.

14Above All, somos familia. We believe in family, our own families and our República family. Everyone contributes to the vision, goals and purpose of República because this is the purpose of it all: To create something great and share it with the people we love.

OUR HISTORY

República was founded in 2006 with a simple yet intricate directive – to create relevant, insight-driven communications designed to captivate consumers across language and culture. Easier said than done. But by combining decades of experience with a culture of unbridled creativity and unparalleled results, agency co-founders Jorge A. Plasencia and Luis Casamayor have turned what began as a friendship into one of America’s leading cross-cultural idea incubators.

A former media, sports and entertainment executive, Jorge’s career has been marked by its share of successes – from becoming the first director of Hispanic marketing for the Florida Marlins during their 1997 World Series championship run, to serving as an executive at Estefan Enterprises alongside international entertainers Gloria and Emilio Estefan. Jorge was also intimately involved in the careers of artists Shakira and Gloria Estefan during the Latin music “explosion” of the late '90s, all before going on to leadership roles at Univision Radio, the country's largest radio network serving U.S. Hispanics.

Luis’ career began at an equally young age with the launch of Cosmyk, an advertising, design and marketing agency founded while he was still in his twenties. Already a seasoned marketer, in a few short years Luis helped propel Cosmyk into one of the most cutting-edge creative and design firms in Miami, boasting a roster of prestigious clients from Miami to New York, Las Vegas and Latin America.

At República, Jorge and Luis have built a team of world-class leaders that lives by ethics, trust, loyalty and a responsibility for fostering ideas that yield results – all with the same passion for great clients, great people and great work. But the República story is also one of caring for community, with an understanding that it is our duty to give back to organizations like Amigos For Kids, a non-profit that Jorge co-founded over 20 years ago. We consider our volunteer and pro-bono efforts central to our success and inherent in our culture. And ultimately, to our future.